


Black Noodles

by Umbreonic



Category: Mystic Messenger (Video Game)
Genre: Bonding with Weed, Fuck Valentine's Day, Gen, Implied Slash, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, M/M, MC is called Hana for ease of reading, Marijuana, Or Is It?, Past Drug Use, Post-Canon, Recreational Drug Use, Set during the 707 Valentine's After Ending, Seven/MC on the side, Skinship, Slightly Awkward Male Bonding, Swearing, Valentine's Day, or rather, spoilers for seven's route
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-02
Updated: 2017-03-02
Packaged: 2018-09-27 19:34:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,954
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10042796
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Umbreonic/pseuds/Umbreonic
Summary: Back before Mint Eye, he'd screwed around, with willing girls (and the odd guy) who just wanted a night of fun, and fuck the romantic expectations society pushed. Once he'd joined Mint Eye, he'd stopped, having higher priorities at the time.But now, after all that was over, Saeran wasn't sure what to do. He'd not slept with anyone in a while, and he'd never even thought of falling in love with someone, of becoming a couple and being swept up in some sweet romance.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Please check the tags for warnings before reading ahead. This is also written in British English.

Romance had never really been an interest of Saeran Choi's.

Perhaps it was his upbringing - his mother had the mothering instinct of a cuckoo, after all, and his father probably wouldn't give a shit even if he wasn't a bastard - but then, ever since Saeyoung had fallen for that girl called Hana, the woman that was once Saeran's pawn, he'd started doubting that.

Normally, it didn't really enter his head. Back before Mint Eye, he'd screwed around, with willing girls (and the odd guy) who just wanted a night of fun, and fuck the romantic expectations society pushed. Once he'd joined Mint Eye, he'd stopped, having higher priorities at the time.

But now, after all that was over, Saeran wasn't sure what to do. He'd not slept with anyone in a while, and he'd never even thought of falling in love with someone, of becoming a couple and being swept up in some sweet romance.

Yet, every day before the fourteenth of the month, he'd suddenly be surrounded by it, and of course, February was the worst of them all, and all because of Valentine's day. Sales on chocolates "for your man", along with countless advertisements on TV and the internet for that "Perfect Gift" for your boyfriend or husband, along with the not-so-gentle reminder that White Day was a month away, and for men to prepare themselves to get chocolate for the women they loved.

Saeran rolled his eyes at it all. He knew he'd be eating black noodles in April (or he would be if he gave a fuck), so this constant advertisement was nothing but a mild irritant, a reminder of society's strange obsession with romantic love.

This wouldn't have bothered him nearly as much were it not for Saeyoung kicking him out the house today. He'd been obsessing over this little project of his for weeks, making calls, holing himself up in his computer den, carrying materials back and forth... he'd obviously planned something big for Hana, but correctly assumed that Saeran would not enjoy being the third wheel again, after that Movie Day Incident that they all swore to never speak of for the rest of their lives. So he handed Saeran his ID and credit card and told him to get a hotel room and go shop for a little bit - as long as he was responsible with it.

He'd accepted the offer, glad to be away from their couples' time, but also irritated that he had to be away in the first place. He'd really just wanted to curl up in bed and play with his laptop all day, not really doing much of anything, but instead he was outside, and bored out of his mind.

So Saeran took one of Saeyoung's beloved cars - he didn't give a fuck if his twin bitched at him later - and drove out of there. Damn, he had to admit, driving this baby did feel good. Feeling the car roar to life underneath him, purring as he drove out of the garage and onto the streets.  
Feeling relaxed and at ease in the car while he waited for the lights to change, he turned the radio on.

"And now, a listener from Busan's request to her boyfriend, Gee by Girls Generation..." The announcer declared, before the song flooded his car. He immediately switched the radio off. Of course it'd be full of that nonsense. They couldn't at least put on Bangtan? He put on one of his old metal/rap mixes instead, and focused back on the road. 

* 

He arrived at the centre of town, going into the first hotel available to book a room.

"Hello there, how can I help you, sir?" The receptionist greeted him as he approached the front desk.

"Ah, I'd like to book a room, please." Saeran already felt his cheeks flushing. Fuck talking to people, why didn't he book this shit online? Oh, right. Because he got shoved out of his house at the last minute. Fuck's sake..

"Of course, sir. I'll just see what rooms are available." He heard her clicking away at her computer screen. "We've got a variety of rooms available, but today's the last day the couples' package is on offer-"

"It's just for myself, thanks." He interjected.

"Oh... very well, sir." She tried to keep her face emotionless and professional, but Saeran could see the truth in her eyes. He knew she pitied him, perhaps wondering how he'd managed to be single on a day like this. Already he was starting to feel irritated - what the hell did it matter if he was single or not? - but he forced down his annoyance and paid for the room she'd chosen.

She picked out a room for him on the sixth floor. He only had one bag of luggage, so he didn't need any assistance carrying it as he went into the lift and up to his room. When he entered the room, he dumped his bags on the floor and flopped onto the bed. Fuck, he was already fed up and it wasn't even lunchtime yet.

He tried to pass the time looking up his usual haunts on his phone, but neither of those were fun. Teddit was full of whiny guys and girls complaining about their lack of a lover on this holiday (and the comments were full of people telling them to shut the fuck up, naturally), while Rumblr was full of sappy couple pictures of their ships from various media that he'd never heard of, nor did he care to. He gave up half an hour later - even at its' most annoying, Rumblr was hard to get away from - and left the hotel room to get himself some lunch.  
Of course, so many cafes were packed with couples exploiting couple's meals that he didn't even bother to go in any of them. He decided to just grab what he could at 7-Eleven, maybe find a gaming shop and grab a few titles there, and play whatever he felt like on his laptop all day just to drown out this couples' nonsense that kept stalking him wherever he went today.

As he entered the 7-Eleven, planning to just grab as much junk food as he wanted and leaving, he heard someone call out, "Oi, Saeyoung!"

Even though it was the wrong name, he still turned around, confused. A young man with a baseball cap, worn with the brim pushed down to hide his eyes and a face mask on sped down the aisle to approach him, carrying what looked like a bag in his hand. Saeran took a step back, pissed that he didn't have his gun or even a knife on hand. This had to be one of Saeyoung's ex-colleagues from the organisation... wait, no. He recognised that voice.

"What're you doing out here? Your romantic plans with Hana not work out?" Now that the hooded man was up close, he could see the red eyes hidden under the cap. He hadn't expected Zen, of all people, to be hanging out at a 7-Eleven on Valentine's Day. While he bemoaned being single constantly on the RFA chat, Saeran somehow expected Zen would've gotten a girl on his arm by now, even if it was just some needy fangirl.

"I'm Saeran. Saeyoung kicked me out so he could have the house to himself and his fiancee." Saeran corrected.

"Oh..." Zen coughed. "I'm sorry. I just saw the hair and thought--"

"Nah, it's fine." Saeran dismissed it. "We're twins. This sort of shit happens all the time." He shrugged. "So, why'd you come here? I thought you lived further out..." He was positive that a handsome, borderline-idol like Zen wouldn't be somewhere this public normally - and considering the get-up, he was right.

"I went clothes shopping." He held up a shopping bag. "I wanted to distract myself from today, but it's not working." He let out a despaired sigh. "I appreciate the chocolates sent to me by my fans, but it's not the same as a cute girl beside me." He pressed the back of his fingers against his mouth, as if to hold back a gasp or sob.

Saeran rolled his eyes. "Yeah, well, not like I got any at all. I don't exactly have adoring fans." He snorted.

Zen blinked, quickly realising his tactlessness. "Ah, I didn't mean it like that--!"

Saeran cut him off, holding up his free hand to stop Zen from apologising. "It's cool." He said flatly. "I wasn't serious. I don't really care about having anyone right now."

Zen stared at him as if he'd grown three heads. "You don't? Even on a day like this? You wouldn't care if a girl gave you chocolate today?"

Saeran shrugged. "Not like I have my eyes on any girls right now. I have better things to worry about, like how much booze and ice cream I can buy that'll fit in Saeyoung's car."

"Saeyoung let you borrow one of his "babies"?" Zen raised an eyebrow.

"Well, I didn't really ask. Not like he'll ask for it back until he's done being sappy with Hana."

"Hmm... well, I only came into this 7-Eleven because they sell my favourite beer." Zen was trying to change the subject, that much Saeran knew, but now the red-head felt a little bad for making Zen feel awkward on an already awkward day.

"Hey, I'll buy you that beer. Well, Saeyoung will, technically, but he won't care. We can go drinking together? At least then we won't be sitting around alone -- we'll be alone together." Saeran suggested. Fuck, he was bored, and Zen was one of the less irritating members of the RFA. It couldn't be worse than sitting around that empty hotel room.  
It was hard to tell what Zen's expression was under the face mask, but Saeran guessed he was mulling the offer over in his head. "Sure. Where should we go? My place, or wherever you're staying?"

"Well, I've got a hotel room, but I'm pretty sure you don't want to be seen going into a hotel room with a guy." Saeran snorted. "Can't be good for your career." Not that Saeran cared - he'd had his fair share of men and women in the past - but he knew how uptight the gossip sites were.

Zen chuckled "Good point. My place it is. Bring whatever you like over, I haven't decided on dinner yet." He took off his baseball cap and dumped it into his own basket, before putting in a pack of his favourite beer.

Saeran gestured for the musical star to follow him as he filled his cart full of beer, along with a tub of chocolate chip ice cream, while the performer chose healthier foods, like salad and pork. He was debating on what sort of sweet snacks he would bring when he had a sudden idea. "Hey, Zen." He tapped the actor's shoulder. "I know what we should have for dinner - jajangmyeon."

Zen gave Saeran a despairing look. "You really think I should give up now?! It's not even April!" He wailed. "Maybe I am too handsome..." He drooped. (Saeran swore that even his ponytail seemed to droop, or maybe that was just the red-head's imagination.)

Saeran shook his head, grinning. "No, no. Relax." He held up his hands to try and pacify the woeful albino. "We're not gonna eat them to mourn our lack of girlfriends. We're gonna eat them as our way of telling society to go fuck itself, we'll get girlfriends how we want, when we want, and not because of a stupid holiday, so they can fuck the fuck off with that "you need a girlfriend" bullshit."

Zen was giving him the look again, the one that suggested that another three heads had sprouted from Saeran's neck. What was he, a hydra?

"Look, we can either mope and cry about how we'll never be loved - even though we're not even close to being thirty, let alone old - or we can grab society by the neck and punch it in the face. Which would you prefer?"

Zen let out a snort and for a second Saeran thought the albino was about to dismiss his suggestion, but then the older man began to laugh. "Shit, I wasn't expecting that. Were you in my gang? Because you sounded just like one of my friends from back then."

Saeran raised an eyebrow. "Is that a good thing?" He hadn't known the stage artist was in any sort of gang... he seemed too pretty for that line of work.

"It's good, Saeran." Zen chuckled. "Was it really that long ago that I was a teenager? Damn." He shook his head, still laughing. "You're right. I'll buy the vegetables and sauce, you buy the pork and noodles. Oh, and more beer. We're gonna need it."

*

One trip back to the hotel later, Saeran was carefully sorting out his and Zen's shopping bags in the trunk of the car, making room for his luggage bag. Zen had suggested Saeran stay over instead, not wanting the red-head to stumble back to the hotel drunk off his ass or worse, try to drive back home. So instead, he'd given his room key to a random homeless guy before he loaded his luggage in the car's trunk.

Once he was done, he sat down in the driver's seat, Zen in the passenger's side. The albino had pulled his face mask down, his baseball cap sitting on his lap. "You got everything?" He asked.

Saeran nodded. "Yeah, we're going." He waved in the direction of the car's music player. "Feel free to pick whatever music you want." Saeran didn't have any sappy love songs in his playlists... well, he couldn't remember if he had any, anyway. He set the GPS to Zen's home and drove off.

He could hear Zen "hrmm"-ing as he flipped through Saeran's playlists. The red-head was right in assuming they didn't have much in common in the music department, but he wasn't bothered.

Five minutes on the road, while Saeran was waiting for the traffic lights to change already, Zen had finally picked a song. Saeran's cheeks went pink as he immediately recognised the first few seconds of the song. It wasn't only Bangtan, it was probably his favourite song.

And yet, he couldn't resist rapping along to Suga's opening rap. "Same day, same moon, 24/7 every moment repeats..." The song was just... it meant too much to him for him to not rap along. "My life is in between, jobless twenty-somethings are afraid of tomorrow..."

God, it was embarrassing, to have a song by an idol group on his list, even if they were far superior to most groups in the charts these days. He could feel Zen's eyes on him, but he kept on rapping, intending to finish on the last line of Suga's verse. "Keep feeling like the “Control” beat, keep downloading it, Every single day is a repetition of control and c, control and v..."

"I have a long way to go but why am I running in place? I scream out of frustration, but the empty air echoes. I hope tomorrow will be different from today, I’m just wishing..."  
Saeran's eyes widened, but he kept his eyes on the road, as the traffic lights had just changed, so he put his foot on the gas, enjoying Zen's soothing masculine voice as he sang V and then Jimin and Jungkook's parts. (God, he hated that a member just had to share a name with that man...)

Saeran couldn't resist joining in again, reciting Rap Monster and J-Hope's rap verses from memory to distract himself from that wonderful voice. Damn it, he knew Zen had to have a good voice, he was in musicals, and yet he hadn't expected it to be... almost hauntingly beautiful. Just like his stupid handsome face. Asshole.

"Because the dawn right before the sun rises is the darkest. Even in the far future, never forget the you of right now. Wherever you are right now, you’re just taking a break.

Don’t give up, you know, don’t get too far away, tomorroooow..." Zen sang the last verse so damned beautifully, Saeran was so close to stopping the car and punching him in the face. Or he would, if he wouldn't feel bad for breaking his nose. Stupid conscience. Now his face was all red.

He felt Zen's eyes on him again as the next song played, another song by Bangtan, this time Jungkook's "Begin", which he was glad for because it wasn't his favourite like Tomorrow was, and therefore he didn't feel like singing along.

Thankfully, Zen didn't feel like singing along either. "Didn't think you'd be a fan." The albino commented, a hint of amusement in his voice.

"W-what's that supposed to mean?" Saeran snapped.

Zen chuckled. "Relax. You just seemed like you'd be too proud to have them on your list. I mean, most of your music looked like either metal or hard rap."

"Bangtan's rappers are excellent." If it wasn't for the whole "keeping his eyes on the road" thing, he would've glared at Zen.

"Hey, hey! Chill. I wasn't disagreeing. I sang along, you know. I was just going to say... I'm glad you're more open-minded about music than most."

Saeran glanced at Zen through the corner of his eye and spotted the small, approving smile on his lips.

"Hmm. It's fine." Saeran grunted. The car was silent for a few minutes before he admitted, "...Your voice is good. I mean, really damn good."

"Wouldn't be much of a musical actor without a good voice, hmm?" Zen teased.

"Shut uuup." Saeran groaned, though there was no real irritation in his voice. "Let me give you a compliment."

"Ahh, sorry, sorry. I can't resist teasing a _dongsaeng_." Zen chuckled. "Come to think of it, I've never heard you talk respectfully, even though you're the youngest after Yoosung."

Saeran rolled his eyes. "Never learned to. Don't care to."

"Not even to Saeyoung? I know he's the older twin."

"By two minutes! Two. Minutes!" Saeran was so very close to smacking his head against the car horn.

Zen laughed. Damn it, he had a nice laugh. "You're too easy to tease. It's so cute."

Saeran made an irritated grumble. He wasn't going to feed this guy with anything more humiliating tonight.

*

Luckily for him, it wasn't long until they arrived at Zen's street.

Saeran had to admit, Zen's apartment wasn't what he'd expected. Considering Zen had already a good name for himself even as a musical actor, he'd thought his house would be something more... stylish? Something more fitting for someone with Zen's dramatic, fashionable persona.

Instead it was an apartment, relatively inexpensive, something that Saeran felt fit him more than someone like Zen. Zen fit penthouse apartments in upmarket neighbourhoods... or maybe just his looks did. There had to be some sort of story behind it, but he felt like asking would seem rude, no matter how nicely he worded it, so he kept his mouth shut for now.

The two of them settled more quickly than the red-head expected, opening beers and watching comedy show re-runs, ignoring the overflowing wave of romantic dramas and films on the airwaves for today. They'd made their jajangmyeon together and ate it by the TV, trays balanced on their laps. He had to admit, Zen was a pretty good cook too.  
It wasn't until late, when the chatter between them had died down, and the two of them were sitting comfortably with each other in silence, that Saeran started thinking to himself about this afternoon.

On the RFA chat, he'd been used to hearing Zen's narcissistic declarations of his beauty, along with the many selfies he'd take, but in person? It was so different. Sure, he'd mentioned his looks a couple of times while they chatted over the program - things like, "I remember that guy, he said my looks were a gift from the Gods at the last RFA party" - but they didn't put Saeran off like he thought it would.

Mainly because damn, now that he was looking at him right here and now... he hated thinking it, but Zen was right, his selfies weren't the same as seeing him in person. (And those were some damn good selfies.) And combined with that voice he'd heard in the car, he wondered now if Zen's narcissistic declarations were really any sort of boast.

But then, the rest of the RFA didn't seem as stunned with him as Saeran felt right now (save for Jaehee.). Maybe it's because they've known him for longer that it no longer affects them the same? Saeran had only really known him through the messenger, through the dossier of data he'd collected on each member for Mint Eye's records, and from the brief glimpse he'd seen of him at Saeyoung's engagement party.

Fuck's sake, why was he even thinking about this? He glanced at the empty beer can in his hand before placing it down on the nearby coffee table. Zen's looks and talent would fade for him too, like it had for his twin and the rest of the RFA. Then he'd get sick of his narcissism too and treat him like he treated everyone else.

Zen's eyes were on the TV now, those red-pink eyes focused on the show in front of him, which reminded Saeran that he'd been staring at the actor for a few minutes. The ex-hacker forced himself to look at the show, which had just ended, the end credits rolling. Damn it. He could feel the singer's gaze turn to him now, but he kept staring on ahead.

Fuck, that beautiful bastard had to know what he was thinking. Maybe he'd mock him, call him those hated names that'd been thrown at him during his brief stint at school, laugh at him like those cunts did, just because he didn't restrict his affections to just women like other men... he needed a distraction, and needed it fast.

Saeran got up from his seat and walked over to his bag, crouched on the ground as he pulled out a box with a couple of ready-rolled blunts inside, along with his grinder, lighter, papers and his little bag of green. "You got somewhere where I could smoke this?" He turned around, tools in hand, and looked at Zen, green eyes boring into red. Come on then, he growled at the performer internally, get mad, call me useless, call me an addict, threaten me with the police, threaten me with the hospital I fucking DARE you-

"Sure. I'll take you up to the roof." Zen shrugged, getting up from his seat.

Saeran stared, not moving from his bag.

The musical actor grinned at him. "What? Surprised? I used to smoke that since I was fifteen. Quit when my job became less of a dream and more of a reality. Now I only really have beer and cigarettes. Can't have too much beer though - got to keep my beautiful body in shape." He brushed his hair out of his eyes as he approached Saeran, offering a hand to help him up.

Saeran took it, mollified by Zen's attitude. "Y-yeah, I guess you have to..." He mumbled. Damn it, he hadn't really cared about smoking them tonight, but... maybe it wouldn't be such a bad idea. Weed helped get rid of the worst of his anxiety, pushing them away and giving him this wonderful low. He was careful to not smoke it in Saeyoung's presence, knowing full well his twin would try to stop him.

But Zen wasn't going to stop him... and he needed to relax.

He followed Zen out of his apartment and up the steps, his blunts and lighter stashed away safely in his pocket. Hundreds of steps later, the singer pushed open a door and gestured for Saeran to follow him through.

The red-head complied, and felt the cold air against his face. They were on the roof, the streetlights too few in the area to pollute the skies as they did in the city centre, or even at Saeyoung's place. The sky was clear, the stars gleaming in the sky. He'd not seen the sky like this in a long time. He pulled out one of the blunts from his pocket and lit up, taking a long drag while Zen lit up his own Black Angel cigarette.

An unbidden memory surfaced in his mind as he stared up, the smoke from the blunt spiraling up and fading into nothing. It was shortly after he'd escaped from his mother's grasp. Rika let him have a cigarette outside before bed - she'd never really approved of his smoking, but at the time didn't fight it - and he'd let his mind wander into the void as he wondered just what would become of him, what his fate would be then. He thought he should've died back then, but Rika saved him from that Hell, and so there was this leftover void, a place where hatred and bitterness would later fill.

Saeran hadn't ever expected the emptiness to return. Now that there was no hate, no desire to bring forth a false paradise... what was there? He took another long drag, exhaling slowly, desperate not to think about it. He'd never had any real ambition, not like Zen, who still fought to be recognised as a respectable actor. Fuck, he kinda envied him for it.

The only real ambitions he'd ever had were, "Get away from my Mother", "Serve Rika as my Saviour" and "Get revenge on Saeyoung". The only long-term goal was serving Rika, and that'd gone to shit the second she'd chosen Saeyoung over him.

But what about now? There was nothing, nothing in the world he wanted, and it was terrifying.

He took another drag of his blunt, only for Zen to tap his shoulder. Saeran raised an eyebrow, hoping the albino couldn't somehow read his mind. "What is it?"

"I haven't had one in years... you mind if we share?" Zen grinned sheepishly.

Saeran tilted his head. Share? Why not ask for the other blunt? He didn't think too hard about it, and instead just handed the smoking cig to the performer. The two of them sat on the ground together, and the twin watched as Zen took a deep drag of the spliff. Damn, he even made smoking green look good, the blunt resting between his fingers as he pulled away, letting out a slow exhale.

He took a couple more drags before handing it back to Saeran, who took more of it. Just as he'd passed it back to the actor, he felt as if his legs had turned to jelly. Ah, here it was... he leaned into Zen's shoulder, resting his face against it for support.

The silver-haired actor put his arm around the twin, a smile on his lips as he passed the finished joint back to Saeran, who took it and stored it safely in an old candy container.

"We're not so different, huh?" Zen breathed in his ear, making the shorter man shiver.

"Dunno what yer talking about." Saeran mumbled, his eyes half-shut.

Zen chuckled, and Saeran was close enough to feel the vibrations of his laugh against his skin. "We've both been through some bad times... I don't think mine really compare to yours, Saeran, but... I know that look. I've seen it before in some of the guys I used to hang out with. Seen it in the mirror." He sighed.

"Huh? What look?" Saeran wasn't sure if Zen was talking sense or if he was just too high to comprehend it.

"You know... that dull look. That "I have nothing to do in my life" look, that "I don't care if I live or die" look." He idly ran his fingers through Saeran's hair. "Stop me if I'm getting too personal."

Saeran leaned into the albino's touch, the soothing motion magnified by the weed. "Hmm... I guess." He couldn't really focus on the words coming out of his own mouth, just wanted to hear the actor speak more.

Zen took away his hand and instead rested his head against the shorter man's. "I'm telling you... just because everything seems meaningless and shitty doesn't mean it always will be. Finding a dream isn't always easy. Honestly, chasing a dream isn't easy either. But it's better than feeling nothing at all. I'm just saying... what you're feeling now will pass, sooner or later, for one reason or another."

The ex-hacker's head turned, his green eyes meeting with Zen's red-pink ones again. "You care, don't you?" He mumbled.

Zen chuckled again, his fingers lightly stroking Saeran's shoulder. "Of course I do. Why shouldn't I?"

Saeran looked away. "Don't need to..."  
"You're part of the RFA, you're Saeyoung's brother. I already care." Zen answered. "Plus... I enjoyed hanging out with you today."

Saeran felt a small smile grow on his lips. He understood that for sure. "Thank you..."

"No problem." Zen laid back on the ground, staring up at the stars. "Let's just enjoy the high." Saeran laid down as well, but now, even in his hazy mind he had to look at Zen. He had to admit, he hadn't expected the day to turn out like this when he spotted Zen at the store earlier. Perhaps they just needed to find each other today... fate was definitely a weird one.

He spotted the actor's hand close by, pale and white against grey concrete. Saeran took the white-haired man's hand in his, their fingers entwining.

A faint smile appeared on Zen's lips as he squeezed Saeran's hand.

* 

**Author's Note:**

> Well, I'd intended for this to be finished by Valentine's day... and that clearly didn't happen. Ah well, it's finished now. My first time writing Zen as well... I hope I did him justice. Main reason this is implied M/M instead of outright M/M is because I feel Zen would have problems coming to terms with being not straight, though he has no problems with others on the lgbt+ spectrum.
> 
> Anyways, thank you for reading! Comment/kudos if you enjoyed it! <3 Maybe I'll write more Zenran, maybe not~
> 
> There's quite a few Korean cultural references in this. Jajangmyeon is black bean noodles, eaten on special occasions in South Korea but also on April 14th, aka Black Day, where singles get together to eat those noodles and either bemoan their single life or celebrate their independence. 
> 
> In fact, I recommend looking up South Korean Love Days, aka my inspiration for this fanfic. They're all holidays that fall on the 14th of each month with their own purposes, the majority being couples' holidays. (And also South Korean romance culture in general... no wonder Zen and Yoosung complain about being single.)
> 
> Dongsaeng is almost like the Korean equivalent of "kohai", used exclusively for older men to address younger men. Hyung is basically the reverse. 
> 
> The song mentioned is "Tomorrow" by BTS (aka Bangtan Boys/Sonyeondan). The lyrics are translated to English by colorcoded lyrics.


End file.
